


A Thing

by Bronnwyn



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 19:53:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1481914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bronnwyn/pseuds/Bronnwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Vega asks the question everyone knows the answer to (but him): Are Garrus and Shepard A Thing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Just some silly thing I wanted to write. Sorry I haven't been around much. Consider this a peace offering. And a brief update: Thanks to everyone for leaving kudos/comments! I appreciate it and I'm so glad y'all like it. Might write a Part 2 later. Thanks again!

Everyone knew Jimmy Vega was a flirt. A terrible flirt whose passes at the Commander almost always earned him a roll of her eyes and a laugh as if to say: “In your dreams, Vega.” In his dreams, indeed. Because while everyone knew Jimmy Vega was a flirt, they also knew that Shepard had only one man in her sights. A certain turian with no romantic skills to speak of.

Yes, everyone knew it. It'd been obvious since the SR-1. Garrus would look at Shepard in that way of his—you know, that way, the way one might look at a particularly bright star—and Shepard would look back. She'd smile, maybe, since she smiled more back then, or maybe she'd just clasp him on the shoulder as a way of reassuring him that everything would be okay. And it was, most of the time. Okay. Not great, perhaps, but okay.

That was all any of them could ask for at this point.

Hell, “okay” would have been preferable to “Thessia being lost to the Reapers” or “the Illusive Man keeps stealing all our stuff.”

But, things were what they were. They were Thessia, falling. They were the Illusive Man, doing everything in his considerable power to undo Shepard's good work. They were Jimmy Vega, calling Shepard “Lola” and doing that...Jimmy Vega thing every time he got within ten feet of her. 

It wasn't annoying so much as it was endearing. Like a little boy having a crush on his older brother's girlfriend. Or at least that's how Shepard viewed it (don't tell). 

“Garrus is gonna nail you between the eyes one of these days,” Joker said above the throb Purgatory's music. There were plenty of people dancing, flailing their arms. They weren't afraid of looking stupid. Pretty dumb thing to be afraid of anyway, considering the Reapers and all.

Vega just laughed. Leaned up against the bar like he owned it. “Nah, man, Scars and I are cool. Haven't given him a reason to shoot me.” A pause. “Y'know, yet.”

Joker scoffed. Maybe that shuttle crash on Mars rattled Vega's brain more than they previously thought. “Every time you call Shepard 'Lola,' you're giving him a reason.”

Vega blinked. “Huh?”

“Oh, come on,” Joker said, “you haven't noticed?”

“Haven't noticed what?” Vega asked. Jimmy Vega was many things—an obnoxious flirt, a damn good soldier, a great cook—but observant? Not so much. 

Joker sighed, pivoted around a little on his stool to face his woefully ignorant friend. Vega's the new kid, he had to remind himself, and he's too busy lifting weights to pay attention to anything else. Be nice. Well, as nice as you can be. “Shepard and Garrus are a thing, James. A serious thing. Pretty sure I hear wedding bells every time they're in the same room.”

Unable to think of a proper response, James only laughed. The people on the dance floor kept flailing their arms. The Reapers were invading Earth. Invading everywhere. And Shepard and Garrus were a thing. A thing. Yeah, he didn't believe it either.

“You think I'm joking?” Joker asked, perfectly aware of the irony in his question.

“Little bit,” James said, holding his hand up to demonstrate how little of a bit with his fingers. “Lola and Scars? Really? Thought she was too busy savin' the galaxy and whatnot. Never seen her take a shore leave in my life. How's a woman like that got time for a boyfriend?”

Joker shrugged. Sipped his drink, watched the arm-flailing. “Ask her.”

\- - - - - - - - - -

Commander Lana Jayne Shepard rarely had any down time. What little she did, she spent it answering emails or giving peptalks to the crew or wrangling politicians in stuffy boardrooms. Never anything particularly enjoyable. Unless Garrus was involved. 

They'd tried to keep their relationship not necessarily a secret, but not necessarily an announcement, either. They spent their time together, they fought in battle together, they stood together, but they never engaged in public displays of affection. This was Shepard's preference and Shepard's preferences became Garrus's preferences. So they carried on quietly, with little looks and small smiles and slight brushes of their hands. Tiny gestures that amounted to a whole damn lot. It wasn't long until everyone else caught on.

Except for Vega, apparently.

“Lola, can I ask you somethin'?” 

“Sure, James,” Shepard said. She fiddled with the requisition console while Cortez did his shuttle thing. James had no idea what exactly it was that Esteban actually did, but, hey, as long as he kept them flying.

“You and Scars...”

Shepard paused, just for a moment, then went back to searching through Kassa Fabrication's wares. Everything was so expensive. But she was an Important Person now. Respected. She'd saved the galaxy twice and she was about to do it again. She deserved to splurge a little bit, right? Spring for that rifle she'd always wanted. “Scars?”

“Garrus,” James replied, crossing his arms over his ample chest. “Look, I'm not good at these kinda things, so I'm just gonna ask: You two a thing?”

Shepard laughed a bit, a quiet little snort as she gave up on Kassa and chose Cipritine Armory instead. A little joke at Vega's expense. Because Cipritine wasn't Palaven's capital or anything. Of course not. “A thing, James? You're going to have to be more specific.”

James scowled. He had the distinct feeling that the Commander was making fun of him. Yanking his proverbial chain, if you will. “Y'know, a thing. Joker says you are and I kinda wanna know so I can...”

“Stop hitting on me every ten seconds?” Shepard guessed. She gave up on the console. Too expensive. So much for splurging.

“You know I don't mean nothin' by it,” James said, looking away sheepishly, thus proving he meant something by it.

Shepard gave him a look. The trademark Commander Shepard Withering Stare. Tali had told her they had stories about it back on the Flotilla. “Uh huh.”

Vega sighed. “If you don't wanna answer, fine. That's your business. I was just curious is all.”

“Of course you were, Vega, and I appreciate the concern,” Shepard flashed him one of her small smiles and clasped him on the shoulder. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to.”

She was gone before Vega could stop her. Not that he could've. She was Commander Shepard. Nothing stopped her. 

Not even death.

\- - - - - - - - - -

The battle was long and hard and bloody and loud, like most battles were. But together, Shepard, Vakarian, and Vega beat those Ceberus bastards back into their hidey-hole. For the time being. They'd be back. They always came back. But for now, they were safe. Everyone at this facility was safe. A good feeling, on all accounts.

They had a few minutes before the shuttle came round to pick them up. And in those few minutes, Vega made an observation.

Shepard and Garrus were standing together near the landing pad, their backs facing him, and although he couldn't see their faces, the picture was obvious: They were definitely A Thing.

A capital Thing. A wedding bells sort of Thing. Did turians even have wedding bells? He had no idea. But what he did know was that love didn't always need to roar. Sometimes love just wanted a few moments to itself. Near a landing pad in a Cerberus base surrounded by the people they'd just killed. Sure, it was freezing, and sure, turians didn't like the cold (or so Scars said), but love didn't really seem to care. Incredible thing, love.

Because, despite everything, Shepard's hand still brushed Garrus's, and Garrus still looked at Shepard in a way that one might look at a particularly bright star. And then she smiled. She smiled like she smiled at no one else. And then she reached up. Touched the scars that marred Garrus's face. Their eyes met, and when they did, James looked away.

He felt as though he were intruding on something private. Something serious. A little thing, but a big thing, too, because...

The little things added up to one big Thing.

And at last, James Vega finally got his answer.


End file.
